Little Rock, Ark. October 18, 1981

Dearest Ron, Ann, Susanna & Jessie, Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean and Roy,

Wow!!! This is birthday week - Susanna's on Saturday and Roy's a week from today, Sunday. We hope you both have wonderful birthdays - Susanna will be three and Roy will be twenty four. We wish we could be with both of you and help you celebrate - October is such a fun month to have a birthday because you can always have a Halloween party - we'll be thinking of you!!!!

This has really been a wonderful week for Arkansas - Miss America (the former Miss Arkansas) came home in the middle of the week (the first time she has been here since winning that title) and they combined her homecoming with a big pep rally at Robinson Auditorium for the Razorbacks before their big game yesterday. The whole town of Little Rock has been in a celebrating mood - everything has been televised and we have all been excited. Johnny was invited to go to Fayetteville for the game with one of his friends and that was just the frosting on the cake - they left early yesterday morning and didn't get home until late last night and it was something he will never forget - I'm sure you all know by now that the Razorbacks beat the #1 nationally ranked team, Texas, by a score of 42 - 11. It was just fabulous and we hope you were watching it on television, Roy. Holtz put all his second and third teams into play and that was the only way Texas made their one and only touchdown. The Razorbacks were so geared up to play and win that Texas couldn't do anything - there has always been so much rivalry between those teams and this was really something. When Miss America came she brought all the runner-ups in the Miss America contest with her and they all performed at the pep rally and Miss Texas was one of them so it was very natural for them to pick on her a lot - Win Rockefeller's son had roasted a big "Texas Longhorn" and they were serving it to everyone who came and of course she wouldn't eat it. This seems to be Arkansas' year. Miss America is just darling and so talented - she sang The Star Spangled Banner at the game yesterday and she sang a lot at the pep rally too - a very wholesome and religious girl - she's from Russellville and they had planned a big homecoming parade for her on Friday but it rained so they had it in the gymnasium of the school there and there were over four thousand people - the Governor and Senators too.

Roy - Trip Strauss get in touch with you? He called here from Hawaii and Daddy gave him your phone number. We're wondering what your plans are - we surely wouldn't blame you if you went to Hawaii for your Semester break if you can possibly get a flight - that would be really neat. That should start this week-end shouldn't it?

Jeannie and Rick - how was your trip to Michigan Rick?? We hope you had a good time and that you were able to spend sometime with your mother in Milwaukee. We tried to call you several times Jeannie to see how you were getting along but you were never home - we surely hope you're feeling good.

Annie & Ron - we're wondering how your visit to the doctor went and what he has told you Annie - we surely hope you're feeling better and that you had good news.

Bob and Claire have spent the week-end in Memphis again - they should be back tonight and will probably came over. They really enjoy going there and it's a nice break for them. Claire's folks are getting ready for their big move to Houston - it will be so nice for them to be closer to their families.

Frances and Virgil James have been here this week-end - Laura had a little get together for them last night and it was fun. Frances is "on tour" with her cook books - her first book is being reprinted for the fifth time and the "Party Cookbook" is being changed into a bigger book with a few added recipes. Virgil looks so much better than when he left here - he spoke in Church this morning and did a wonderful job. Frances said to tell Ann and Jean that she will be on television in Utah sometime in November - she has taped her show and now she is going to Memphis to tape one and then to Cleveland, Ohio where she will stay with the Sondrups and tape a show and then go back to Houston where she will be on television just before Thanksgiving - Virgil asked about you Roy and said to give you his regards. They told us that Ron's relatives, the Kenworthys have moved back to Idaho - will they be living close by your folks Ron? We thinks that's neat... The James are special people and have many friends where ever they go.

The Gonces' home is up for sale - they will probably be moving to Mesa when they sell it. We surely hate to see them leave but they will be happier where the church is stronger and Dave needs a change in his work. They won't move until they sell their home and the way real estate is going here, that could be a year or move. Peggy Miller was at the party last night and when she left to go home she found that her back rear window had been broken to bits - she was so upset she ended up spending the night at the Gonces.

They have found the boys who shot and robbed that young couple at the Central High Stadium a week ago - they were both former students at Central who had been expelled for one reason or another. The student body at Central had collected about $1,500 to offer for a reward in finding out who did it and other groups contributed until the total was over $6,000. Hall High had their game there last Friday night (they played Pine Bluff and won be four points) but a lot of the kids didn't dare go - including Johnny. They all went to the dance after at Hall stayed away from the game. They have increased the security at the games and it probably won't happen again but it surely has frightened everyone. The girl who was shot is going to be okay - by the way, she is a nationally ranked gymnast.

Daddy went back to Jim to have him take out the packing in his ear and then they gave him the hearing test - so far, he doesn't have any improvement but we're all hoping it is too soon to tell. He has been quite discouraged but there are many, many worse things. He had a "patch" put on the drum that was punctured when he was water skiing several years ago and Jim says the scar tissue around that might have an effect on his hearing and he may decide to go in and see if he can reduce that a little.

I am still in my fourth grade class - I had to spend two days last week in a workshop and that was a little break away from the class but we had to do some "crafty" things and that isn't easy for me. The teacher had a little baby boy last week so maybe she will be back soon. That have asked me to take over a reading lab in the Western Hills school for a lady on a maternity leave in January and I'm looking forward to that - the reading labs are easier!!!! The principal at Western Hills is Margie Puckett - do you remember her son, Roy? He went to Vanderbilt with Chip Strickland but I don't know where he is now.

Our home teachers are coming in a few minutes and I don't have any more news so I'll close for now. We surely do love each one of you and miss you very much - when the Fall weather comes it makes me think about Thanksgiving and the holidays and Family and I hope we can closer together sometime in the future. Please be careful in the things you do and let us know if we can help you in anyway.
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